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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29253411">It's Always the Quiet Ones</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/anne_ammons/pseuds/anne_ammons'>anne_ammons</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Drabbles for Fairest of the Rare - Lovefest 2021 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Post-War, Truth or Dare</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:20:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,381</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29253411</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/anne_ammons/pseuds/anne_ammons</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Curiosity killed the snake. That's the saying, right?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hermione Granger/Pansy Parkinson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Drabbles for Fairest of the Rare - Lovefest 2021 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2148042</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>99</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Love Fest 2021, Rare Pairs RHM Read for LoveFest</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>It's Always the Quiet Ones</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/In_Dreams/gifts">In_Dreams</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for Lovefest 2021</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Everyone knew Granger wouldn’t join in. She never did. All of Eighth year, she’d basically kept to herself. She wasn’t unfriendly, per se, but she had basically ignored everyone and everything.</p><p>It was almost as if she had lost more in the war than anyone realized.</p><p>Of course, her two sidekicks had dumped her for the Auror Corps, but still Longbottom had returned, and Weaselette, so she wasn’t completely on her own. But still, she walked behind them in the corridors, and darted away from the table in the Great Hall before anyone else.</p><p>It was all very odd. But then again, Granger had always done things her own way, far less interested in what anyone else might think than her own indecipherable calculation ofwhether it made sense to her.</p><p>She wore baggy robes. She refused to tame her hair, and she didn’t wear a lick of makeup. It was all so very disconcerting that Pansy couldn’t figure out why Granger refused to show the slightest effort. It was as if the two were exact opposites. Not that the girl wasn’t pretty, but it was as if she refused to try, content with bushy hair and limited prospects.</p><p>Perhaps that was the benefit of being Muggleborn. Pansy’s parents had expectations on how her year would end, with any luck, with a betrothal. Regardless of her own interest, she knew that was what dutiful daughters did. But Granger somehow seemed to be removed from all of it.</p><p>It wasn’t that Pansy was jealous, although it needled at her that she didn’t understand. It didn’t make sense to her that the Gryffindor Princess who had <em>won</em>, after all, was so out of sorts. She should be basking in her victory, rubbing it in to anyone and everyone. She should be taking advantage of her celebrity status to bring all the boys to heel. At least, that’s what she would have done.</p><p>But Granger seemed to want none of the attention and silently rebuffed all the attempts of her would-be suitors. Pansy watched her with no small amount of curiosity, wondering what could possibly have happened to produce this girl who suddenly seemed so far from herself, so unsure.</p><p>Of course, there were N.E.W.T.s. Maybe that could explain some of her isolation — she had always been a swot, but Granger’s behavior was borderline anti-social. Every now and then, Pansy would catch her eye right before she looked away, as if Granger had been staring for longer than she should have. It made no sense to Pansy, but then again, it didn’t need to. There was no love lost between the two of them. They had barely even shared words this year, other than in class.</p><p>So it was with some surprise that Granger stilled when Pansy called out to her as she crossed the Eighth Year common room.</p><p>“Granger, care to play Truth or Dare?”</p><p>Most of those assembled scoffed, knowing that the effort was wasted, but then their mouths fell open when the wild-haired girl actually looked up from the book she was carrying and seemed to consider the question.</p><p>And it was even more strange when she sat down to join the circle on the ground, settling in a spot between Longbottom and Thomas.</p><p>Pansy noted how Longbottom rubbed her back, as if she needed a bit of reassurance that she was welcome, that she’d made the right decision.</p><p>“All right, you tossers,” Theo called. “You know the rules. Anything goes as long as no one finds out. Got it?”</p><p>There were snickers around the room. Pansy looked over, expecting Granger to change her mind at any moment, but she saw no sign of her leaving. In fact, there was a twinkle in the other girl’s eye that she hadn’t seen all year.</p><p>Finnegan went first, and to no one’s surprise, he picked a dare which had him shedding his clothes and streaking through the castle, trying to avoid Filch and any patrolling professors.</p><p>By this point, many of the dares were predictable. Most of them had played together enough to know something about the others. And, almost everyone picked the Dares, rather than the Truths. There was some bravado to be won in doing the ridiculous deeds. While the Truths required you to expose yourself in ways that, if the right question was asked, lingered. Ernie McMillan still couldn’t quite look Padma Patil in theeye, after she’d made the mistake of asking for a truth and was required to explain in great detail what exactly she wanted her fellow Head to do to her.</p><p>Still, Granger was a bit of wild card. Pansy chuckled at the look of horror on Blaise’s face when she dared her fellow Gryffindor, Lavender Brown, to perform a lap dance for him. Blaise far preferred fiery redheads to gossipy blondes, and both turned bright red, uncomfortable for the entire exchange.</p><p>Then, Hannah Abbott had to give her best impression of Flitwick, and promise to do it <em>in front</em> of Flitwick. Everyone had roared at that clever addition, which would definitely bring some much needed levity to their next N.E.W.T. Charm class.</p><p>Pansy took stock of the circle, trying to figure out which person in the circle might be the one to ask Granger which she might prefer, the question or the action. Then she surreptitiously stood up, refilled her drink and sat down on the other side of Draco, ensuring it would be her, if no one else moved. She thought through what might be a sufficiently embarrassing dare, and a compelling truth, depending on which the other girl might choose.</p><p>At one point, Pansy looked across the circle and found Granger looking at her. Clearly, she’d figured out what Pansy had done by changing positions. Pansy steeled herself, waiting to call foul if Granger got up and left now, but she didn’t. Instead, she raised her glass towards Pansy in a sort of salute. Game recognized game, and all that, although the bold gesture left Pansy decidedly uneasy.</p><p>And then it was her turn to ask.</p><p>“What’s your choice, Granger? Truth or dare?”</p><p>If there had been any chatter in the room, it stopped. It was as if everyone leaned forward, waiting to see what Granger might do. Is this where she stomped off? Would she join the others in requesting a dare that might have her do any one of a number of acts, or would she expose herself to having to answer a question whose ramifications might linger long past the night.</p><p>Granger paused for a moment and gave a small grin. “Truth.”</p><p>Draco was immediately in her ear, giving her suggestions, but she shooed him away. She already knew what she was going to ask the girl who had been so uptight and distanced all year. Pansy might not be privy to what was on her mind, but she figured she knew a question that would be the right level of leverage and embarrassment.</p><p>“Okay, Granger. Tell us, of all the boys sitting in the circle right now, who would you rather be kissed by... down there?”</p><p>There was a chorus of oohs and ahhs in the room. Pansy sat back, feeling quite smug. At this point, everyone knew that Granger and the Weasel weren’t together. But who was she seeking comfort from — or better yet, who might she want to seek comfort from?</p><p>All of the boys in their class were present, save Seamus, who hadn’t returned from his run; and given his continued absence, may have been caught by either Filch or Peeves.</p><p>She leaned forward, waiting for the other girl’s answer, wondering who it might be and how that particular piece of information might play out.</p><p>Granger took her time, tilting her head, as if considering her options, and then she leaned forward and gave Pansy a look that made her feel uneasy in her stomach. In that moment, Granger focused directly on her, and it was as if it was just the two of them in the room. Pansy swallowed thickly as the other girl licked her lips, almost hungry. Any traces of her earlier melancholy had vanished.</p><p>“Point of clarification, does it have to be a boy, <em>Pansy</em>?”</p>
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